After months of intrigue and speculation, Mr. McMahon, the new six-part documentary series about the controversial Vince McMahon, has finally landed on the 2024 Netflix schedule. The eye-opening chronicle of the life, times, accomplishments, and many controversies experienced by the former WWE Chairman doesn’t pull any punches, and does a fantastic job of recounting some of wrestling’s biggest moments over the past 40-plus years, for better or worse.
Below is a quick list of several wrestling documentaries I think would make a great companion piece for Mr. McMahon for one reason or another. From tackling similar topics to adding more context to some of the biggest moments in the documentary McMahon doesn’t like, these are some of the best options to watch. Come with me as I break them down.
Beyond The Mat (1999)
Barry W. Blaustein’s Beyond the Mat could very well be the best wrestling movie ever made, as well as its most controversial. Filmed throughout the wrestling boom period of the late ‘90s, this eye-opening, and sometimes hard-to-watch, feature-length documentary follows various promotions, including the then-WWF, as they attempt to push the sport to new heights, no matter what it takes.
If you were into Mr. McMahon and it pulled back the curtain on professional wrestling, then this 1999 documentary is a must-watch.
Rent/Buy Beyond The Mat on Amazon.
Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows (1998)
Released in 1998, Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows, documents the final days of Bret Hart’s 14-year WWE run, culminating with the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” at Survivor Series 1997. Watching Mr. McMahon, specifically the “Screwjob” episode, I couldn’t stop thinking about this legendary documentary, maybe because so much footage was pulled from it for the new Netflix series.
Buy Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Dark Side Of The Ring (2019 - Present)
Like Mr. McMahon, Vice’s Dark Side of the Ring doesn’t focus on just one major story from wrestling’s history, but on countless controversies, incidents, and polarizing figures. Since 2019, this great true crime series, now in its fifth season, has painstakingly chronicled everything from fallen wrestlers like Owen Hart and the Von Erich family to the “Plane Ride from Hell” to Vince McMahon’s steroid trial.
Stream Dark Side of the Ring on Hulu.
Who Killed WCW? (2024)
One of the more recent wrestling documentaries, Who Killed WCW? is a four-part Vice series about the rise and fall of WCW, as well as how Ted Turner’s wrestling promotion changed the face of entertainment in the ‘90s. Unlike some of the WWE productions released on the “Monday Night Wars,” this one plays it down the middle in terms of biases. Sure, there’s a lot of finger-pointing, but isn’t that what makes wrestling documentaries, especially those about defunct promotions, so much fun?
Buy Who Killed WCW? on Amazon.
Also Worth A Watch
There are a ton of other great wrestling documentaries to watch if you thought Mr. McMahon was good. Below are some of my other favorite options that I just couldn’t go without at least mentioning and sharing how to watch them.
- Stream Andre The Giant on Max.
- Stream The Monday Night War on Peacock.
- Stream The Rise And Fall Of ECW on Peacock.
- Rent/Buy Card Subject To Change on Amazon.
Hopefully, you’ll enjoy these wrestling documentaries as much as Mr. McMahon, which is currently streaming for everyone with a Netflix subscription. And with WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night Raw moving to Netflix in 2025, we could be seeing more great wrestling docs in the months and years to come.
